1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet recording head mounted on an ink jet printer, and more particularly to an ink jet recording head having a nozzle guide for protecting the head portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ink jet printers record images on recording media, such as paper sheets. A typical ink jet printer includes a platen, a carriage, and a recording head unit. The platen is provided for supplying the recording media. The carriage is oscillatingly moved in parallel with the platen across the surface of the recording medium. The recording head unit is mounted on the carriage and includes an ink jet recording head. While the carriage scans across the surface of the recording media, the ink jet recording head ejects ink based on image data to record an image on the recording medium.
There are many types of ink jet recording heads that can be mounted in ink jet printers. One type is called a piezoelectric type. A piezoelectric type ink jet recording head includes an ink chamber formed from a piezoelectric element. Ink is held in the ink chamber. A voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element so that the ink chamber deforms. This deformation reduces the volume in the ink chamber so that an ink droplet is ejected out from a nozzle connected to the ink chamber. Lead zirconate titanate, commonly known as PZT, is used as the material for the piezoelectric element.
Piezoelectric type ink jet recording heads typically include a plurality of piezoelectric elements and ink chambers. An actuator is provided for controlling ejection of ink from the plurality of ink chambers. A wiring substrate is connected to the actuator in order to transmit drive signals to the actuator.
The various components of the ink jet recording head are not strongly connected together. Also, vaporized ink can contact the actuator, or where the various components are connected together, and degrade electrical characteristics or even cause short circuits. To prevent these problems, a nozzle guide is used to cover the outer peripheral surface of the actuator. An ink jet recording head fitted with the nozzle guide is attached onto a base plate of the carriage. Seal agent, such as a silicone type adhesive, is coated over the space between the nozzle guide and the base plate in order to prevent ink from entering through the space and contacting the actuator and other covered components.